The quarterback's jacket
by rokeat
Summary: Everything became more complicated after Sam found out about Blaine's crush on him... Blaine doesn't feel as comfortable with their friendship as before and Sam misses his best friend... until a near tragedy will turn their worlds completely, putting everything in perspective. SLASH.


_**A/N: **__Well, finally the story I've been promising for so long! I'm sorry it took me so long, but as most of you might know, I've been quite sick and struggling to get anything done so... forgive me!_

_This is the story I made a poll about in tumblr and here's the result! I really hope you like it!_

* * *

**THE QUARTERBACK'S JACKET**

Blaine sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day, and it was just early morning. Getting up from bed seemed to be getting harder and harder every morning, especially since lately he only managed to fall asleep, simply from exhaustion, in the small hours every night. Too many things in his head, he tried to convince himself, although he very well knew there was actually just one thing. Or person, to be more accurate.

He wasn't sure how much his heart could take. First, Kurt left for New York. Of course Blaine didn't reproach him about that, it had been him encouraging to give it a try, after all. But as soon as he was gone, he started neglecting him and forgetting about him to the point Blaine started feeling maybe they weren't so right for each other as he thought. And when Blaine made the biggest mistake of his life and cheated on him, Kurt refused to even listen to him, even though he was partly to blame too.

And just when he was starting to forget about Kurt, and he thought he would be alright after all, he had to go and fall in love with his best friend. His loyal, awesome, straight best friend, who would give the world to him but could not reciprocate his feelings. Everything had been easy, comfortable, at ease and wonderful between them until then, and Blaine couldn't help but think about how easy a relationship with him would be too: Sam knew him like the back of his hand, understood him better than anyone and he never expected him to act as something he wasn't. Blaine dreamt about being able to hold his hand through McKinley's hallways, about kissing those rosy and wonderful lips, taking him on dates to nice places he couldn't afford, getting to wear his football jacket so everybody would know he belonged to Sam… His feelings for Sam were becoming stronger than his feeling for Kurt ever were, and that was a scary thought. And then Sam found out about Blaine's crush and everything become much more complicated, in spite of Sam's good intentions.

"Morning, dude!" Sam greeted him with an annoyingly cheerful tone, appearing out of nothing behind his open locker and giving him quite a fright.

"Geez, Sam" Blaine protested good naturedly, bringing a hand to his heart. "Are you trying to kill me or what?"

"Actually I was just trying to put a smile on that sour morning face of yours, but it looks like I wasn't successful" Sam joked, and finally managed to elicit a tiny grin on Blaine's lips. "That's better"

"So what's up, Sam?" Blaine asked as he finished grabbing the books he needed for his first class and closed the locker.

"Nothing, do I need an excuse to come and talk to my best friend?" Sam asked, and Blaine immediately sighed. Again.

He knew Sam was not hurting him purposefully; quite the contrary, he only wanted to reassure him that nothing had changed between them and he still considered him his best friend. He had been doing that a lot since he had found out about Blaine's crush on him while on their _Guilty_ _Pleasures_ assignment about two weeks ago. Far from being freaked out about it, he was just being even more attentive and sweeter than ever, to show Blaine how fine he was with everything. But every time he reminded Blaine about their _best-friends_ status with the best of intentions, it was like a kick in the gut for the shorter boy.

"Blaine?" Sam asked, a little worried, when Blaine seemed to get lost in his thoughts and failed to answer. "You okay?"

"Yeah, sorry" Blaine was quick to answer, even managing to smile to put Sam's mind at ease. "I'm just tired, I didn't get much sleep last night"

"And why's that?" Sam asked, not trying to hide his concern.

"I don't know, I just couldn't sleep" Blaine answered in a rush, clearly dismissing any worries from his friend as he rushed into a classroom. "Hey, I'll see you at Glee later, ok?"

"Ok" was all Sam could say before Blaine had disappeared.

Great. Just great. Although Blaine denied it, Sam could see his best friend was hurting, and he felt like the worst person in the world knowing he was the one causing it, even if not on purpose. The thing was that Sam was really running out of strategies to bring his happy and carefree best friend back. And he was terrified of failing.

* * *

As promised, Blaine met Sam again that day for the Glee practice. Sam was already in the choir room when Blaine arrived, and he made a big show of taking his backpack out of the chair next to him to make Blaine understand he was saving him a seat and he was expected to sit there. Of course, Blaine couldn't refuse and he smiled at his best friend in greeting, not oblivious at the glances he received, as he had been receiving for days each time he so much as interacted with Sam in front of the Glee club.

"Had a nice day?" Sam asked, reciprocating Blaine's smile as the shorter boy sat at his side.

"It was good enough" Blaine answered, and Sam didn't have the time to ask what that meant before Mr. Schuester appeared and called their attention.

"Hello, guys!" he happily greeted them, after a two week absence.

"Mr. Schue, glad to have you back!" Artie spoke in the name of everybody.

"How are you feeling?" Tina asked.

"Much better, Tina, thank you. It was the most serious flu I ever had, but I made it" William explained with a chuckle. "I'm only sorry I missed two weeks of work so close to regionals. But hey, from what I've heard, you didn't lose your time at all! Some of the teachers told me about your _guilty pleasures_ week and how it took over the whole school! Well done, guys!"

"Well, you should thank Blaine and Sam for that" Tina explained, feeling proud of her friends. "It was them who started it and contributed the most"

"Yeah, Blaine surely contributed a lot" Blaine heard Jake whisper behind him. "And in a very revealing way"

"Don't be like that" Marley gently admonished him, but by the way she knew what he was talking about, it was obvious it was not the first time they had talked about that.

"You're just jealous you could never sing with such passion" Kitty sarcastically told him.

"There was passion there, I'll give you that" Unique added with a mocking tone. "Not that I can blame him, though, if I spent half the time with Blondie that he does, I probably wouldn't be able to keep my hands off him either"

"I hope it's just the hands!" Jake added with a laugh that was immediately joined by Unique's.

"Cut it out, both of you, Blaine is not like that" Ryder defended him. "And shut up now, he's going to hear you"

Blaine would have laughed about the absurdity of it all if he had not been that utterly mortified about how much his teammates knew about his feelings, and how half of them thought he was making predatory advances towards his straight friend. He guessed he was either blushing or paling with horror, because the next time Sam turned to him to give him one of his comforting smiles, his face filled with worry and he was instantly resting a hand on Blaine's forearm.

"B, what's wrong? You alright?" he asked, and Blaine's heart rate accelerated at how good it felt to have Sam worrying about him –even if it was not in the way he would have wanted–. It was obvious that the kind blond guy hadn't heard their friends' conversation or he would have chopped their head off by then. "Are you getting sick? You must be cold, do you want my jacket?"

Blaine felt tempted for a second to say yes and live the illusion of wearing Sam's jacket as if it was his boyfriend lending it to him, but thought that in the end it would hurt more than help, so he refused.

"No, it's fine. I'm okay" Blaine answered with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, but Mr. Schue was talking and he didn't want to be disrespectful –wasn't that a good excuse?– so he didn't offer any explanation.

Mr. Schuster seemed to be crazier than ever with his obsession with practicing, after having lost two whole weeks, so he immediately got them all on their feet to rehearse one of the choreographies they were to perform on regionals, which they had learnt before his flu. He didn't seem to be too concerned about the dancing department; sure, they had lost Mike, Quinn and Santana, but they got Jake and Kitty instead, and they still could count on Brittany and Blaine's skills, so their dancing level was quite similar to that of the previous year. And if everything else failed, they could always use some of the famous Sam's body rolls, Will thought with a smile.

The choreography was not especially difficult, but Blaine knew he was not doing it right. Even if they hadn't practiced it for the two weeks, he had known it by heart before that and was really good at it. But not today: completely unable to concentrate, today he was incapable of remembering any of the moves that came after the last one, and he kept screwing up one time after another.

"Concentrate, Blaine, please" Will admonished him good-naturedly, though Sam still sent him a sympathetic smile, knowing how much Blaine hated failing, especially at anything concerning music or glee club.

So when one of the moves implied a quick turn he wasn't ready for, he bumped into Ryder, who was dancing next to him, and one of his feet stepped awkwardly on the floor as he tried to regain his balance, causing him to painfully twist his ankle. Ryder, noticing that, tried to help him and keep him on his feet, but Blaine was already half way to the floor, so he ended up landing on his butt.

"I'm so sorry, Blaine, I didn't see you!" Ryder immediately apologized, but Blaine was quick to dismiss his worry.

"No, Ryder, it was my fault, I really wasn't paying attention" he answered, tentatively touching his ankle and hissing in pain when he did.

"Blaine!" Sam exclaimed, his voice full of apprehension as he made his way to him and knelt at his side. "What happened? You okay?"

"I twisted my ankle" Blaine answered with a wince as Sam's hands felt the injured area.

"Give me your keys, I'll take you to the hospital" Sam answered, stretching his hand in front of him for emphasis as the others circled around them.

"What are you talking about, Sam?" Blaine asked with a disbelieving chuckle. "It's just twisted, I don't need to go to the hospital"

"And how do you explain the swelling then?" Sam tried to convince him, pointed at the injured limb. "Because your ankle is about twice its size right now"

"It isn't, how can you be so exaggerated?" Blaine protested.

"You should at least let the nurse have a look at it, Blaine" Mr. Schue intervened, kneeling at Sam's side so he could also have a look at it.

"There's no need for that, let's just keep practicing and…" Blaine started, trying to get up, but Mr. Schue stopped him with a hand to his shoulder.

"Blaine, Sam is right, it looks a bit swollen, and the grimace on your face shows that it's hurting quite a bit"

"It isn't, really" Blaine denied, although he could see he was not fooling anyone.

"Blaine, do I have to exercise my authority as a teacher to make you go and see the nurse?" Will said, more sternly, and Blaine knew he couldn't fight it anymore.

"Fine, I'll go. But only so you all will leave me alone" Blaine answered, forgetting for a second that he was talking to a teacher, though William decided to ignore his insolence for once, understanding how frustrated and in pain he might be.

"Let's get you to the nurse" Sam suggested, and it was clear his intention was to pick Blaine up in his arms when he put one of his arms under his knees as the other one went more strongly around his torso.

"What the hell are you doing?" Blaine asked as he stopped him, and the pure terror in his face would have been comical if Sam didn't know where it came from.

"Mm… Taking you to see the nurse" Sam answered, confused and partially scared, especially as he heard a couple of snorts behind him.

"I can walk there myself, Sam, thank you" Blaine immediately refused, his cheeks blushing, putting his hand on Sam's shoulder to lean on him and be able to stand up.

"You should accept the offer, Blaine, you don't get to be on arms like those everyday" Unique joked, eliciting a couple of guffaws that he preferred not to know whom they belonged to.

"I'm not going to be picked up, Unique" Blaine protested, and Sam shook his head at the insensitivity of some people.

"Alright" Sam accepted, rising on his feet too. "Come on" Sam encouraged him, turning around so his back was to Blaine and bending slightly in front of him.

"What are you doing?" Blaine asked again, his cheeks blushing even more at Sam's embarrassing position and the laughter he could hear from some of their teammates.

"I would have thought it was the other way around" Jake joked, pretended to whisper even if everyone could clearly hear him.

"I just… meant for you to jump on my back for a piggyback ride" Sam explained, blushing also as he understood the image going through everybody's minds. "I was not implying…"

"Sam, I'll just go on my own, ok?" Blaine said in such a soft and mortified voice that Sam had to strain to hear him.

"Blaine, wait" Sam pleaded as he watched his friend limp painfully towards the door.

"It's okay, Sam, you just keep practicing. I'll see you later"

"I bet you will!" Jake couldn't refrain to add, as he and Unique roared with laughter and even Kitty and Tina couldn't help a little grin breaking into their lips.

"Well thank you, guys, you were really helpful" Sam reproached them harshly once Blaine was out of the door, silencing any laughter by the surprise he elicited with his bitterness.

"What's happening here?" Mr. Schue asked, completely oblivious to everything that had transpired through the guilty pleasures week.

"It's just…" Sam started, but he didn't want to betray Blaine's trust talking about his feelings to everyone on his back. "Blaine is not having the best of times and his _friends_ here decided to put their finger on it"

"We were just kidding, Sam, you know we love Blaine" Unique tried to justify herself, suddenly understanding maybe they had gone a tad too far with their jokes.

"We didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable" Jake added, starting to feel guilty too.

"Well, you did make a great job of it anyway" Sam retorted, not ready to forgive them just yet. "Mr. Schue, may I be excused? I'd like to accompany Blaine to see the nurse anyway"

"Of course, Sam" Will immediately agreed, as he had always had a soft spot for those inseparable two. "Go and make sure he is okay"

* * *

"Blaine, wait!" Sam shouted as soon as he was out the door as he ran to his friend, although Blaine was only halfway through the hallway due to his slow movements.

"Sam, go and keep practicing, please, I can make it on my own" Blaine answered, still too embarrassed to even look at him.

"Don't listen to them, they're idiots" Sam immediately explained, never the one to beat about the bush, especially with Blaine.

"They all know, Sam" Blaine responded, stopping but not lifting his gaze from the floor. He didn't need any further explanation for Sam to know he was talking about his crush on him.

"We don't know that" Sam tried to refute, but Blaine's humorless laugh stopped him.

"Of course they do. They figured it out when I sang to you in the auditorium, just as you did" Blaine reasoned, and Sam could see he had a good point. "Or they might have even found out before that, who knows"

"I'm not sure they all know, as you say. And even if they did…"

"They do, Sam, and it's so embarrassing… I feel like they're watching my every move towards you, analyzing everything I do to see just how strong my feelings are, or how inappropriate I am towards you, or whatever… I think they even find it funny"

"They acted like assholes, I know, but they were only joking, in their own twisted way. They weren't trying to hurt you"

"It's not even that, Sam" Blaine explained, the ever-present sadness from lately shining in his eyes. "It's the fact they think I'm harassing you, that we can't be friends anymore, that you should watch your back or else…"

"Hey, stop it" Sam pleaded, his hands on Blaine's shoulders to stop his tirade. "They don't think that"

"Or maybe they pity me because you're never going to love me back" Blaine lamented before he could even stop himself.

"Blaine, I…" Sam tried to find the words to comfort him, but what could he say? Blaine was right, he couldn't love him back.

"Don't worry, Sam, I didn't mean that. I'm sorry I made you feel uncomfortable" Blaine apologized, even managing a little smile to put Sam's mind at ease. "And now, please, go back to Glee before they start thinking I kidnapped you"

"I'm already here anyway, whatever they might think, they're already going to. Let me take care of my best friend as he deserves, Blaine" Sam answered, as kindly as he could, but there it was again, the reminder of how Sam would never love him back.

"I can go alone" Blaine insisted, but Sam's stubborn gaze was already on his eyes so he knew there was nothing he could do to stop him.

"Or you can go with me. Apparently there are two options and I'm taking the second one. Come on, as if you'd let me go on my own had I been the one to get hurt!"

"Alright" Blaine finally relented, knowing Sam had a point.

"That's my boy" Sam answered while he took Blaine's arm and put it around his own shoulders to get his friend's weight off his injured ankle, eliciting a grateful smile from him.

* * *

Of course in the end Blaine was right: it hadn't been too serious an injury, and after a couple of weeks of mild rest –because that was Blaine, and if there was anything he was actually incapable of doing, that was being still– it was as good as new. And Sam was grateful for that, because Blaine didn't really need anything else to worry about. He had enough as it was.

As Sam waited for him to appear next to his locker one afternoon –as they hadn't hung after school for a couple of days now and Blaine had skipped lunch, so he missed him–, Sam felt a familiar sharp pain in his heart for a second as he thought about the conversation that changed everything back in the _guilty pleasures_ week, the one where Sam told Blaine he knew about his crush on him and that he was okay with it. Not for the first time, Sam wondered if maybe he shouldn't have said anything. But he had seen Blaine was kind of struggling with his feelings and he had wanted to reassure him that everything was alright.

Blaine had asked him if his crush on him didn't freak him out, and Sam had quickly reassured him that no, of course not. But it really had, in a way. Not because Blaine was a boy; Sam didn't care about things like that. But because Blaine was his best friend, his only true friend, and he had a crush on him, something that could very easily get him hurt –and it clearly was already– and that was the last thing Sam would want to.

He guessed it was how Blaine felt towards Tina's crush on him, and why he put up with so much with her: because he didn't want to hurt her, even if he knew he could never love her back. Only in Sam's case was even worse because Blaine was his best friend, probably the most important person in his world, and it pained Sam to admit they would really be great together if he could just love Blaine back. Like really really great together, because no one had ever understood him and cared for him as Blaine did. But now he wasn't sure they could even continue being so close friends. Everything had changed.

It was not like Blaine was being distant with him, at all: he was as attentive and sweet as ever. Well, whenever they were together, which wasn't that often lately. But Sam had noticed how Blaine never started any physical contact anymore. If Sam hugged him, he immediately hugged back; if Sam started some kind of fake fight or pillow fight, Blaine would always respond; he would even rest his head on Sam's shoulder if the latter put his arm around his shoulders. But he didn't start any of those things anymore. And Sam missed it.

He couldn't say he didn't understand why Blaine did –or didn't do– that. Back at the beginning of their closer friendship, Blaine once confessed to him that one of his biggest fears was to be seen as a predatory gay; he had enough with not been accepted by a lot of people, he didn't need to be feared or to elicit repulse on top of that.

So now that Sam knew about his crush on him, Blaine was afraid any friendly gesture would be perceived as him making advances towards his goal. He was even sure some of the guys of the glee club thought he was harassing Sam, for God's sake! If Sam touched him it was okay, it didn't mean anything; but if it was the other way around… It could be misunderstood. Or at least that's what Sam supposed Blaine feared. And it saddened Sam to no end, because Blaine deserved to be happy. And to feel accepted.

Sam wished it didn't have to be like that. He wished Blaine could be as carefree and generous about his affections as he had always been with him, as it was his nature –Sam had never met a person as tactile as he was until he met Blaine–. But given everything Blaine had been through since he came out at such an early age, Sam could hardly blame him.

But he didn't have to worry too much about it, he was sure of that. Blaine would soon overcome his crush on him, realize it was Kurt who he really wanted to be with and everything would go back to how it was before feelings got in the way. Although he had to admit that to know that someone as beautiful, inside and out, intelligent and talented –in short, simply perfect– as Blaine felt more than friendly feelings towards him made him feel good and especial. And to think those feelings would eventually go back to Kurt… made his insides churn with jealousy. Friendly jealousy, of course. But jealousy anyway.

He saw his friend walking towards him with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, and Sam blamed himself once again for the visible sadness that permanently showed through Blaine's beautiful golden eyes those days. And yeah, he knew most guys didn't refer to his friends' eyes as _beautiful_ or _golden_. Moreover, most guys didn't think about his friends' eyes. But Blaine was indeed a very handsome guy, and the fact that Sam was straight didn't mean he couldn't notice that, right? After all, Sam was a born artist, he noticed beauty in all its forms.

"Hey" Blaine greeted him, and Sam immediately lifted his arm for a fist-bump that Blaine was quick to give.

"How nice to see you! I was starting to forget your face!" Sam said good-naturedly, even if he was only half joking.

"Come on, don't exaggerate, we saw each other this morning before classes" Blaine immediately dismissed Sam's protest, as he opened his locker and managed to hide behind its door.

"Yes, but you skipped lunch" Sam reminded him, appearing behind the locker's door so Blaine wouldn't have the chance to hide from him anymore.

"I wasn't hungry so I went to the auditorium… to play a bit, you know" Blaine shyly explained, not wanting to lie to him. After all, it wasn't Sam's fault he was a pathetic gay boy in love with his straight best friend; Sam didn't deserve to be treated in less than a perfect way.

Sam looked worriedly at his friend. He knew the piano was Blaine's safety valve when he had a lot going on in his head, or when he wasn't feeling at his best. But he only went to the auditorium instead of the choir room when he didn't want to be disturbed or, how Sam suspected was the case, he wanted to hide from something. Or someone. And if he was even losing his appetite on top of that…

"Everyone asked for you. Not that I could give them any answers to your whereabouts, blimey, considering you weren't answering my texts…" Sam explained, with no trace of reproach in his voice.

"I'm sorry, I forgot my phone on my locker" Blaine answered, pointing at the interior of his locker to show how his phone was indeed there –although it might have been left there on purpose, Sam thought to himself.

"I miss you, B" Sam declared after a couple of seconds' silence, in complete honesty.

"It was only a meal" Blaine tried to justify himself, even though he perfectly knew what Sam was talking about.

"You know what I mean" Sam insisted, knowing he couldn't keep letting Blaine walk further and further from him, however uncomfortable the situation might be.

"Hey, but we are hanging up tomorrow, aren't we?" Blaine asked because even if the situation with Sam was so painful, he still needed to spend time with his best friend, and he knew Sam did too.

"Yeah, of course, it's Saturday!" Sam answered, making a face as if it was a stupid question.

"Ok, so good luck on your game tonight. Break a leg" Blaine said, giving Sam his best smile and another fist bump for good luck.

"Wait, you can wish me luck in the pitch tonight, as you always do, right?" Sam asked, confused. After all, Blaine was a cheerio, he had to be in the game that night too, right?

"No, I… I'm not going to be with the cheerios tonight, I told Coach Sylvester my ankle is still giving me trouble. But I'll be cheering you from the stands, don't worry"

"But it's not the same! I won't probably even be able to find your face amongst all the people, nor hear your encouraging words!" Sam whined, and he knew he was behaving like a spoilt kid, but he didn't care: he wanted Blaine where he could see him and hear him while he played, like he always had.

"I'm sure you'll be fine, Sam" Blaine laughed, but Sam was having none of that.

"But why, Blaine? Your ankle is fine, and this is a very important game, you know that. I need my best friend tonight, B" Sam begged unashamedly.

Sam knew he was being unfair as soon as he saw a rush of guilt cross Blaine's features at his words. Blaine had to have a powerful reason to leave the other cheerios in the lurch and he hadn't even bothered to ask.

"What's really going on, B? Why don't you want to be with the cheerios?"

Blaine sighed and he let his back fall against the lockers in resignation. Although the issue had been in their way every single moment since then, they hadn't talked about Blaine's crush again since he hurt his ankle, and it wasn't even a real conversation that time. But something in Blaine's demeanor told Sam that he was finally going to bring it up again, if he ever got the courage to speak.

"B, you know you can talk to me, right?" Sam encouraged him, squeezing his shoulder comfortingly until Blaine raised his troubled gaze to look at his friend.

"The cheerios know too and they all tease me constantly about how I only cheer you when the team plays. They're not trying to hurt me or anything, it's all a big joke to them, and I don't think they even know how right they are about how I feel about you, but it's still pretty hard. And Kitty is there, and Ryder plays in the football team, and everyone is going to know I lov… how I feel" Blaine restrained himself from admitting just how far along his feelings went. Sam didn't need that kind of pressure on him, when he couldn't do anything about it.

"B, this is ridiculous!" Sam protested with a laugh, but he could see it was very serious for his friend.

"It isn't for me. I don't like being in the spotlight, at least not when I'm not performing, and lately it seems like all eyes are constantly on me, watching my every move, waiting for me to make a fool of myself, and it makes me feel so uncomfortable and pathetic…"

"You're not pathetic, Blaine, I don't like that you think about yourself like that. You are amazing, and anybody who differs with that can very well go to hell as far as I'm concerned" Sam protested, but he was glad that at least Blaine could be open with him about how he was feeling. Maybe not everything was lost yet.

"They're going to make fun of me" Blaine insisted, but Sam could see he was letting himself be convinced. He had never been able to deny anything to Sam, after all.

"Then laugh along with them! Show them how little you care! Blaine, this is not about any of them. If you don't want to go because you don't feel like it, fine. I'll surely miss you, but I won't insist you to. But if it's because what they might think or say, then screw everything"

"This isn't getting any easier…" Blaine lamented, once again lowering his face to hide how close he was to tears, and Sam knew he wasn't talking about the game anymore.

"Blaine" Sam softly said, lifting Blaine's face with a gentle finger under his chin. "I'm so sorry you're hurting"

"It's not your fault your gay friend has a crush on you" Blaine reasoned with him.

"Well, it's not yours either" Sam lightly joked, finally eliciting that tiny smile he had been aiming for. "I told you nothing was going to change on my part. But it apparently is on yours" Sam tentatively explained, not wanting it to sound as a reproach.

"I know, Sam. I'm sorry" Blaine apologized, shaking his head in disgust with himself.

"Don't be" Sam gently answered, smiling at him. "Just… come to the game, buddy. I still need my best friend"

"I do too" Blaine answered and, for once, he forgot about his fears and embraced Sam with all his forces, clinging to him as if the world was ending. "Don't give up on me, please"

"Never" Sam reassured him, his arms enveloping his friend just as strongly, a huge relief going through his chest at the realization that they could still be best friends.

* * *

Sam felt a renewed hope that everything would eventually go back to how it was when he first got to the pitch from the locker room with his teammates –Ryder amongst them– and Blaine, true to his word, was there with the rest of the cheerios, smiling at him as if there was no one else in the world. So when he passed him by in his way, Sam tenderly squeezed his bicep and smiled back at him, and he couldn't help but feel amused and a little proud when Blaine blushed a little at his attentions.

He felt especially glad Blaine was there with him that day, because that game was very important –whoever won that night would win the championship–, and Sam always played better when he knew Blaine was there for him. Maybe it was because he knew his cheering was only directed at him. Or maybe he tried to play better to impress his friend, he didn't know. But the fact was that it was good to have him there, and he surely wasn't going to disappoint him.

* * *

Every time the game stopped for a few seconds and he turned around towards the bench to look at Blaine, he would be silently looking at him and would awkwardly smile at him, as if he wanted to say something but he wouldn't dare. Some of those times he saw Kitty talking to him, and thought that maybe she was encouraging him to screw it and have a good time –after all, Kitty had become a good friend for him since he joined the cheerios–. But as the game went on, and McKinley was winning thanks to Sam's smart moves, Blaine started relaxing and at some point he stopped caring about what others would think and cheered like the rest of his team, though Sam knew it was only for him.

The happiness didn't last for long, though. The other team, when seeing they were losing the game and the championship, starting getting more and more aggressive towards McKinley players, and Sam worried someone was going to get injured. One of his teammates had already had to leave the game with a very probable broken wrist. Sam was thankful there was a doctor there, but there was not much he would be able to do without the proper equipment if someone got really hurt.

Looking back at Blaine, he could see the shorter boy was probably thinking the same as he looked worriedly back at him, as if begging him to be careful, and Sam nodded at him to make him understand that he would be alright.

But what Sam wasn't ready for was what happened then: two players, one of each team, were running towards each other near the benches, fighting for the ball, none of them willing to surrender. Sam almost closed his eyes to avoid seeing the horrible crash he knew was going to happen. What none of them expected, though, was that the force of the clash send them off balance and towards the McKinley cheerios who were just standing there and, in the end, they impacted with brutal force with two of them with such force that threw them some feet away in the worst crash in football Sam had ever seen. Both the cheerios were left awkwardly lying on the floor: one of them was a dark-haired girl he knew only by sight, who was already starting to move after the hard blow. The other one, who seemed to be unconscious from where Sam was standing, was the only boy amongst the cheerios. Blaine.

His heart in his throat, Sam forgot about everything that wasn't his lifeless best friend lying in the cold grass, and started running towards him with a powerful speed, the game completely forgotten. Ryder, who had also watched the scene and was also very worried about his friend, also ran behind him, but Sam didn't even notice him. His eyes and his whole attention were only fixated in the unmoving form of his dear Blaine.

Sam arrived only a second before Coach Beiste, and he frantically knelt next to his friend, who was lying on his stomach. He was about to turn him around, without really thinking what he was doing, when Beiste's terrified shout stopped him.

"Don't move him!" she yelled, stopping Sam's arms from coming any closer to Blaine's unmoving form. "You could hurt him permanently"

Sam stopped his movements even before the coach explained herself. He was an idiot: of course he knew the last thing you must do to someone who has received a blow like that was to move them. How could he be so selfish? In his need of seeing Blaine's face and taking comfort from it, he had almost made his possible injuries worse. Everything was his fault: Blaine shouldn't have been there, he hadn't wanted to go, but Sam's ego and his need to have someone who he knew would only be cheering him had forced him to come. And now he was lying lifeless on the cold ground.

As it was an important game and sports like that were dangerous, there was a doctor on the field, and he was arriving to Blaine at that same time, giving orders about calling an ambulance immediately to whoever might have a phone with them.

"What's his name?" the doctor asked, and it took Sam a couple of seconds to understand he was talking to him –his face was surely reflecting how troubled he was, so the doctor had guessed they were close.

"It's Blaine" he answered, his voice trembling with fear.

"Blaine" the doctor called him, putting his fingers to Blaine's neck to check for a pulse. "Blaine, can you hear me?"

But Blaine didn't respond; in fact, the only sign of life in him was the slight movement of his torso that showed he was breathing. A lot of people were gathering around them in worry, Ryder and Kitty amongst them. But Sam didn't even notice. He only had eyes for his fallen friend. And it was the scariest image Sam had ever witnessed.

"Someone should call his family. Do you know how to contact them?" the doctor asked

"His parents are abroad on vacation right now, and his big brother lives in California. There is no one else" Sam explained, realizing he was the closest person to take care of Blaine right then, and he was going to.

He wanted to caress his hair, or to hold his hand, or to let his own head rest on Blaine's and cry while he begged him to respond. He wanted to do anything that would imply some kind of contact, the slight reassurance that Blaine's warmth would bring. But he was terrified of touching him, of hurting him, so he had to content himself with sickly biting his own nails, unable to notice Ryder's hand on his shoulder, trying to offer some support Sam didn't want.

There wasn't much that the doctor could do until the paramedics arrived with the proper equipment to treat such a dangerous injury. Fortunately, they only had to wait five minutes –even if it felt like a lifetime so Sam– until the sirens could be heard, and soon after that an ambulance made its way into the pitch and didn't stop until it was practically on the small crowd that had gathered around the injured youth –with Marley, Jake, Artie and Mr. Schue now with them too, having made their way from the stands.

Sam ignored the paramedics orders to move away from Blaine –though he was careful not to get in the way– and surprisingly no one insisted him too. Maybe the utter terror they could see in his face was enough to pity him.

The paramedics expertly and carefully turned Blaine around and laid him down on a stretcher, immediately immobilizing his head with a surgical collar to avoid any further complications. It was the first glimpse Sam got from Blaine's face, and it shocked him how peaceful he looked, how he could pass as if he was sleeping if not for all the people working around them. But he wasn't sleeping, Sam reminded himself. He could very well never wake up again.

"B, please, don't do this to me, come on, open your eyes" Sam begged in a whisper, a tear rolling down his cheek as Ryder, standing behind him, squeezed his shoulder again.

"He has a steady pulse, but his breathing is being compromised" the woman in charge said.

"Give him some oxygen" the doctor immediately ordered, and an oxygen mask was put over his nose and mouth as they continued checking his vital signs.

Sam tried not to think about how scary it looked to have Blaine's beautiful face covered by a mask giving him the oxygen he was not able to get for himself. It made him look small and fragile and vulnerable, and it was an image Sam knew he would never be able to get out of his head.

Looking more closely at Blaine's body, as if he was looking for injuries he couldn't see even if they might be there, Sam noticed Blaine was shivering. Poor Blaine, he was the most sensible to the cold person he had ever met, he thought with a fond little smile.

"He's shaking, he's cold" Sam suddenly voiced, and the woman working on Blaine turned to him, his eyes full of compassion for the obviously shaken boy.

"He's not feeling anything, son" she explained tenderly. "He's shaking because of the shock"

"I know him like the back of my hand, and I tell you he's cold" Sam insisted, because yeah, she could be a doctor, but no one knew Blaine like he did. No one. "Kitty, give me my jacket" he requested when he noticed for the first time the little cheerio standing next to him.

Kitty hurried to the bench where she knew all the players' jackets would be and quickly located Sam's. She doubted it would do Blaine any good, but if it could help Sam in any way it was good enough for her.

She handed the item to Sam who very carefully spread it out over Blaine's torso, cautious not to jostle him but taking the time to lovingly remove some escaped curls away from his forehead.

"Here, see? I don't want you to get cold, I know how you always get cold when the sun is already down and you stay still in the open for too long. I know every little detail about you, don't I?" Sam lovingly told him, his fingers intimately entwining with the curls on Blaine's head, not caring about the fact that Blaine didn't seem to be able to hear him or that everybody else around them were.

"I'm one of his teachers. Is he coming too?" Mr. Schuester, obviously very worried, asked after a couple of minutes silence.

"No response yet" the doctor admitted sadly. "The longer he is out, the less probable he won't have any permanent damage. He took a very hard blow"

Ryder and Kitty shared a compassionate look at the sob that broke on Sam's throat at the doctor's words. The tears that had been threatening to spill out could not be contained anymore and Sam shook his head in negation. This could not be happening. There was no way he would never see Blaine's smile again. Or hear his dorky laugh at one of his silly jokes. Or get lost in the depth of his golden eyes when he was listening to one of Sam's stories. There was no way Blaine's music and talent would leave Sam's world empty.

With another sob that he didn't even try to stop, Sam bended over to kiss Blaine's forehead, one of his tears falling on the pale skin of his friend and leaving a path of sadness on his cheek, as if he could feel Sam's pain and has started crying himself. The terrible thought of living a life without Blaine crossed Sam's mind uninvitingly and suddenly it was like a big revelation: he couldn't live without Blaine, because he loved him with all his heart.

"I love you, you hear me?" he was able to say between sobs, honesty and desperation so clear in his voice that Ryder and Marley felt tears coming to their own eyes. "You're going to be okay and I'll be there for you every step of the way. You're never getting rid of me again. I love you so much, please, be okay, I can't live without you, I'm sorry it took me so long to understand"

He couldn't continue talking as sobs ripped through his chest, and he let himself be moved from Blaine –though only an inch– so they could prepare him to go and into Ryder's arms.

As soon as Blaine's lower body was strapped to the stretcher, though, Sam disentangled himself from his friend and took advantage of the fact that Blaine's hands were free to take one of them in both of his, feeling a big impulse to be physically connected to him now that he had shared his feelings with him –even if Blaine hadn't heard him–. He again bended over his best friend to whisper comforting and loving words next to his ear until he felt a tiny movement in the fingers he was holding.

"He squeezed my hand!" Sam announced, almost yelling as he looked at the doctor. "He just squeezed my hand! That's a good sign, isn't it?"

"Are you sure? You could just have imagined it" the doctor answered, but she was quick to lift one of Blaine's eyelids and put a light to his eyeball to check for a reaction.

"I'm sure" Sam confirmed, completely confident about the sensation of Blaine's hand moving between his own, and then he just turned to the injured boy again, feeling the need to keep talking to him. "You just did, right, Blainey? You can't just ignore me even if you're angry at me for making you come to the game, right? You're just that kindhearted"

"I'm sorry, but we need to move him now, we need to get him into the hospital" the paramedic told him, gently breaking the contact between both boys' hands.

"I'm going with him" Sam announced, his tone indicating he was not asking for permission.

"I'm sorry, but…"

"I'm his boyfriend" Sam didn't know what that came from –and judging by the collective gasp that he heard around him, neither did everyone else–, but it felt like the right thing to say if it would lead him to accompany Blaine in the ambulance –and, he had to admit, it felt so good to say he was Blaine's boyfriend. He hoped he would have a chance to say that a lot of times after that day.

"That's good, but you're too young" the paramedic insisted, again to no avail.

"I'm of age, and he is too" Sam replied, completely honest this time and leaving no room for argument. "I'm coming with him"

"Oh, come on" Mr. Schuester intervened when he felt the paramedic was about to refuse again. "None of his family are here to go with him, and I can guarantee you this boy's face is the first thing Blaine will want to see when he comes to"

Sam raised his gaze towards his teacher in amazement: he had always known Mr. Schue cared about them much more than all the other teachers, but he wasn't aware that he knew so much about Blaine and his relationship with Sam. He gave him a grateful smile, and Mr. Schue nodded at him.

"Alright, since you're both of age I guess I can't stop you" he said. "But you need to keep out of the way"

"Of course, I just want what's best for him" Sam said as he stood up, and true to his word stayed a couple of feet away from the stretcher as it was lifted and rolled away.

The silence that had filled the pitch from the moment tragedy strike was interrupted with warming and respectful applauses for the seriously injured boy, prayers and wishes being sent his way. For the first time, Sam was able to tear his eyes from Blaine for a second and looked around him. A few of the glee club members had made their way there, and looked very shaken and worried. There were even tears in Ryder's and Marley's cheeks, and Artie was so pale he looked as if he had seen a ghost. Before he had the time to say anything, a hand on his shoulder made him turn around to face Mr. Schuester.

"You go with him, Sam. We'll be right behind you" Mr. Schue spoke much calmer than he really felt, trying to stay strong for the sake of his students.

"Mr. Schue, his parents…"

"I'll try to contact them right away, and Cooper too, don't worry"

"And we'll get the others" Kitty offered, not wanting to think about how to break such terrible news to Unique and, especially, Tina.

"Thank you all, guys" Sam thanked them from the bottom of his heart.

"Be strong, Sam" Artie told him, gently squeezing his forearm. "He needs you"

"We need each other" Sam corrected him with a sad smile, before he nodded at his friends one last time and ran to the ambulance behind the stretcher.

* * *

The ride on the ambulance was done pretty much in silence. Blaine was stable and there was nothing else they could do for him until they made it to the hospital and they could assess what the real damage had been.

Blaine's hand was again between both of Sam's, and the blond kept running his thumb all along Blaine's knuckles in a comforting pattern. Sam was not crying anymore, but the lump on his throat kept him from saying a word until he noticed his friend's eyes were fluttering.

"He's trying to wake up" Sam announced, before turning to Blaine in the sweetest voice. "B? Can you hear me?"

Blaine tried to move his head as he slowly came to, although that was not possible due to the surgical collar he was wearing. His eyes fluttered more intensely, and Sam could swear he was responding to the hand Sam brought to the top of his head to gently caress his curls.

"B, come on, open your eyes for me" Sam insisted, and this time he was rewarded with a soft moan. "Come on, stop being so lazy and wake up for me"

"Mmm?" Blaine moaned again, his eyes still closed as his hand slowly moved to the oxygen mask to remove it, although Sam stopped him gently.

"Leave it there, Blaine, you need it" Sam whispered to him, removing Blaine's hand from the mask and capturing between his own again.

"Sam?" Blaine asked, and he seemed to be getting scared at the mask, the pain and his inability to move.

"Keep talking to him, try to get him to keep still" the doctor advised Sam, knowing Blaine was bound to react better to his boyfriend –as she had been told Sam was– than to a complete stranger.

"Hey, B, I'm here, I've got you" Sam immediately reassured him, bringing Blaine's hand to his lips so he could kiss the knuckles he had been caressing only a minute ago.

"Sammy" Sam felt tears stinging in his eyes at the nickname that Blaine hadn't used for so long, since the whole crush on him fiasco.

"Schhh, take it easy, I'm here" Sam shushed him, talking to him as tenderly as he could, wanting for Blaine to feel as secure as possible, given the circumstances.

"What happened?"

"You were crushed in the football game, but don't think about that now, you'll be okay"

"I love you too" Blaine suddenly said, completely out of context, and Sam got scared for a second that Blaine's brain had been damaged with the blow until he understood what he was talking about and the lump on his throat became even bigger as a tear rolled down his cheek.

"So you heard me. I knew you were just faking it, you little drama queen" Sam joked, and there was so much love in his voice that an outsider would have never believed Sam had just realized about his feelings.

"I wasn't sure it was real… You… really love me?" Blaine said, finally able to open his eyes even if it was only a crack, so he could see Sam's eyes when he answered.

"Yes, I do" Sam simply answered, with a watery smile.

"Am I dreaming?" Blaine asked, wondering if the blow was making him hallucinate.

"No, B, you're not" Sam answered with a chuckle as he kissed the back of Blaine's hand again. "This is very real, and I love you, and I need you to fight, B, for me. Now you know I can't go on without you"

"Don't worry about me" Blaine pleaded, raising his hand with a lot of effort to cup Sam's cheek. "I'll be alright"

"I know you will" Sam answered, covering Blaine's hand with his own, not caring about the stream of tears he was incapable of stopping. "We have a lot of time to make up for"

* * *

The next time Blaine woke up he was lying on a hospital bed, feeling much more comfortable than on the previous stretcher. He was still wearing the collar, but at least the oxygen mask was gone. He became aware of a hand stroking the curls on his forehead –he didn't even want to think how his hair was looking at the moment– and another one holding his own before he even opened his eyes. Not that he needed to see to know both of these hands belonged to Sam. Sweet loving Sam, who he bet had never left his side while he slept.

When he finally lifted his eyelids, Sam was indeed there, looking at him as if he might disappear any moment, but the sweetest smile instantly broke on his lips when he noticed Blaine was awake.

"Hey there" Sam whispered, not stopping his loving ministrations even if Blaine was awake now.

"Hey" he answered as he tried to gather the strength for more than one word in a row.

"You're going to be alright. The doctors said so" Sam explained, somehow guessing what Blaine wanted to ask. "There will be no permanent damage. You just got a concussion and a whiplash that is going to be quite painful for a few days, and you might need some rehabilitation after that, but you'll be right as rain in no time. They thought you might have injured your lungs to the lack of oxygen at first, but it was just the shock from the blow. The doctors said it was a miracle you didn't break any bones, all things considered" Sam explained, trying to sound casual but Blaine could sense in his voice how scared he must have been for a while.

"How did it happen?" Blaine asked, squeezing Sam's hand to let him now he was there for him as much as Sam was for him.

"You don't remember?" Sam asked, and when Blaine slightly shook his head in negation, he explained to him. "A couple of apes bumped into you with such force… I'll kill them as soon as we're out of here, by the way"

"I'm sure they didn't mean it" Blaine answered with a chuckle.

"Even then… You could have been…" Sam started, but his voice broke before he was able to finish the sentence.

"Oh, Sam" Blaine motioned with his hand for Sam to come closer to him, and Sam immediately obliged. He stood up from his chair and very carefully bended over the bed and rested his head on Blaine's chest, and as soon as the brunette's arms went around his upper body in a tight embrace, all the sorrow and worry accumulated in his chest for hours found its way out through loud sobs that Blaine didn't try to stop. He knew Sam needed to let it all out, so Blaine contented himself with showing his support tracing comforting patterns all along Sam's back and neck, not caring about how Sam's tears were wetting his hospital gown, and cursing the collar he was wearing which didn't let him move his head enough to kiss the top of Sam's head.

"I'm sorry" Sam apologized between sobs.

"Don't be. You need to let it all out" Blaine whispered to him, squeezing him even more strongly and fondly running his fingers through Sam's long hair that he loved so much.

"I was so scared I'd never see your huge eyes open again, Blaine" Sam confessed after a while, when his sobs started diminishing.

"I can only imagine how terrifying seeing your best friend like that can be" Blaine responded, but he was surprised when Sam's face suddenly lifted from his chest and moved closer to his.

"Not only my best friend" Sam confessed, and he slowly stretched his neck towards Blaine face, giving him the time to stop him if that's what he wished. But when he didn't, Sam carefully pressed his lips to Blaine's for the first time, lovingly cupping his cheek in an attempt to feel even closer to him. Blaine's lips felt as amazing as he had imagined sometimes, and he tasted like those freshmints he loved so much. Afraid of hurting him, Sam broke the kiss before it became something deeper, but he was still left breathless and shaken at how much it made him feel.

"Not how I would have liked our first kiss to be, but okay" Blaine joked, trying to create a lighter atmosphere for Sam's benefit, and was rewarded with an honest laugh from the blond boy.

"Don't complain, I thought it would look very cinematographic if I kissed your lips while you were unconscious and I was crying while holding you in my arms and all, but I thought it would be nice for you to be conscious for our first kiss" Sam joked back, as he tried to dry the remaining tears in his face.

"Yeah, I really didn't want to miss it" Blaine answered, both his eyes and his voice full of devotion.

"Me neither. Although I can't wait for our first kiss in which you are allowed to move" he joked with a wink at the shorter boy, eliciting a soft smile from him.

"So… did we win the game?" Blaine asked, trying to keep himself awake with conversation, not ready yet to leave Sam for the world of dreams.

"We were winning, but I don't know what happened after that, to be honest. Maybe they suspended the game, who knows. I had other things to worry about, you know" Sam confessed, still more shaken about how close he had come to lose Blaine that he dared to admit.

"I know" Blaine answered, comprehensively.

"Maybe Ryder will know. And speaking of him, Ryder and everybody else are in the waiting room, but there can only be one person here with you. Do you want me to go outside so they can take turns visiting you?" Sam answered, wishing with all his forces Blaine would refuse his idea.

"I don't want to sound selfish but… I would rather you'd stay" Blaine confessed, blushing a little at feeling so dependent, but by how Sam's face illuminated at his answer, he could see there was no other place his friend would rather be.

"I was hoping you'd say that, because I'm not ready to get you out of my sight yet"

"Neither am I" Blaine answered, and both shared a tender smile as Sam sat on the chair, bringing it closer to the bed, and picked Blaine's hand in his once again.

"Mr. Schue is trying to contact your parents, but Cooper will be here around midday tomorrow" the blond explained.

Sam had to laugh at the involuntary grunt that escaped Blaine's lips at the information. Blaine loved his big brother, he really did, but he could be a bit overwhelming sometimes, especially if he was injured and feeling too weak to put up with him.

"So yeah, you're basically stuck with me until your family gets here" Sam explained as he lovingly kissed the back of Blaine's hand, making the shorter boy's heart melt with his actions.

"I'm surprised they let you come with me in the ambulance" Blaine suddenly said, as if he had just realized about that.

"Well, I told them we were both of age and…" Sam explained, hesitating.

"And?" Blaine encouraged him to continue.

"And that I was your boyfriend" Sam confessed, his cheeks blushing.

"Oh" Blaine answered simply, not giving much away about how he felt about that.

"I know it was very presumptuous of me to assume that without even asking you first, but there was no way I was going to let you go without me, especially in that condition. I thought it was the easiest way to convince them"

"Asking me?" Blaine asked, as if that was the only part he had heard about Sam's words.

"Blaine, as soon as I realized I've been in love with you for the longest time, I only wanted to be with you, like… at all times. So maybe…"

"Yeah?"

"Maybe you'd want to forgive me for hurting you for so long and… give us a chance" Sam asked tentatively, but the gentle squeezing of his fingers given by Blaine's hand was enough to give him hope.

"Sam, there is nothing to forgive. Everyone has their own pace in love"

"But I know I hurt you, a lot! You're so kindhearted…"

"Sam, a few hours ago I thought you could never feel anything for me, and now you're telling me that you love me and asking me to be your boyfriend. I'm not kindhearted, what I am is ecstatic!" Blaine explained with the widest smile Sam had ever seen.

"So I guess that's a yes" Sam already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from Blaine's lips.

"Yes, of course it's a yes, Sam" Blaine answered with a chuckle. "With capital letters"

His heart bursting with happiness, Sam brought his chair even closer to Blaine's bed and once again caught Blaine's hand in both of his to kiss every one of his knuckles, making the shorter boy sigh with bliss.

"I know I already said that, but I'm really sorry it took me so long to figure out I'm in love with you" Sam felt the need to explain, even if he knew Blaine didn't want for him to apologize.

"Sam, I told you it's okay…" as expected, Blaine tried to stop him, but Sam was having none of it.

"No, but I want to explain it to you. I want you to understand I was not being in denial, trying to convince myself I was not in love with a boy. I just… hadn't realized it yet. When I found out you had a crush on me, I didn't even stop to think I could reciprocate your feelings, I just assumed I couldn't. But when I was faced with the possibility of losing you… I could only think about how I had messed it up so much that we had lost our chance, and that I would never be able to live without you. Does it make any sense?"

"Of course it does, Sam" Blaine answered, his voice full of adoration, motioning for him to get closer so he could cup his cheek. "And I don't care how long it took, as long as you're sure about your feelings"

"I am" Sam answered, without a trace of hesitation in his voice, and Blaine sighed in contentment before he shivered slightly –just enough for Sam to notice. "Are you cold?" Sam asked, immediately rubbing Blaine's arm to give him some warmth.

"A little" Blaine admitted.

"Do you want the jacket again?" Sam asked, pointing with his head at his team jacket, lying forgotten on a chair next to him.

"You gave me your jacket?" Blaine asked in disbelief, as if he found it impossible that all his dreams –however ridiculous they might be– were coming true.

"Of course I did, you were shivering. They said it was from the shock, but I knew better" Sam explained, stretching his arm out so he could play with the loose curls on Blaine's forehead, making a mental note to tell Blaine how much he loved them like this when he was feeling better.

"Thanks"

"It's not a big deal. Besides, I want you to keep it. It suits your eyes" Sam joked, not knowing how happy he was making his friend –no, boyfriend– with that.

"Could you help me put it on? I want to wear it" Blaine asked.

"You can't move right now, B" Sam explained, feeling awful for denying him, so he offered an alternative solution. "Do you want me to cover you with it?"

"Yes, please" Blaine answered, his face brightening with the solution. "Are you sure you don't want it back?"

"No, it's totally yours. After all, it's a tradition for the quarterback to give his jacket to his sweetheart, especially if they're the captain of the cheerios, isn't it?"

"Are we really so stereotypical?" Blaine asked with a feigned groan.

"It looks like so" Sam answered, shrugging his shoulders at him.

"Then I'm so going to wear it as soon as I can put it on" Blaine explained, and he couldn't help a sigh as Sam tucked him in with the jacket and kissed his forehead in the most adorable of ways.

"You seem quite eager to wear it" Sam observed.

"I have… kind of a kink with that" Blaine explained, blushing furiously about his secret being discovered, but Sam just laughed it up.

"Then I'm even happier I gave it to you" Sam answered, and he smiled fondly at his boyfriend when Blaine couldn't help a big yawn. "You should get some more sleep now, you're convalescing"

"It must be quite late"

"It is"

"Shouldn't you be going home?" Blaine asked, although if he had to admit it to himself, Blaine was dreading to be left alone for the night.

"I… thought I'd stay here for the night" Sam offered.

"No, Sam, there's no need for…" Blaine started, but of course Sam was going to put on a fight.

"There is. Your family isn't here, and as your boyfriend I think it's my prerogative or something" Sam joked, trying not to feel too proud about how Blaine's face lit up like a Christmas tree at the _boyfriend_ mention.

"You don't have to" Blaine insisted for Sam's benefit, although he was dying to surrender to it.

"But I want to" Sam insisted, and if there was something Sam was, that was stubborn.

"Ok" Blaine finally relented, feeling very grateful at his… boyfriend –wow!–. "Do you…"

"What?"

"…want to lie down here with me?" Blaine offered because, even if they had started their relationship just now, the friendship they had enjoyed until that moment had been very close –closer than what was considered normal– and they had slept in the same bed and even cuddled a hundred times before, so it wasn't awkward at all.

"I'd love to but… I'm afraid to hurt you"

"You won't. And… I kind of need your arms around me tonight" Blaine explained, and it was the first time that Sam realized that Blaine was quite shaken with his accident too.

"Then I can't refuse, can I?" Sam answered, feeling the need to reciprocate the comfort Blaine had provided only a while ago.

Very careful so as not to jostle him, Sam climbed on the bed next to him, a little awkwardly considering there was not a lot of room for him, but Blaine couldn't move so that would have to do. He lay down on his side and resisted the urge to lay his head down on Blaine's chest because he didn't want to hurt him, so he finally rested his head on the pillow, as close to Blaine's as he could muster, and put his arm around Blaine's waist to give him some much needed comfort and to make him understand he was being looked after and protected as he slept.

"I love you" Sam reminded him, and he smiled when a wide grin broke in Blaine's lips.

"I love you too" Blaine answered, completely honest. "And hey, if getting hurt was what was it took for us to happen, I'm kind of glad it happened"

"I would have preferred a less radical way, but okay" Sam answered with a smile before he kissed his boyfriend's cheek and started rubbing his belly and chest to relax him and get him to sleep, willing to guard his sleep all night if he was needed to.

* * *

Cooper arrived the next day as planned, and he only needed to be in the room for five minutes for him to guess Sam and Blaine's friendship had evolved into something else and to start mortifying them with jokes and hints.

Blaine's parents arrived the day after, and although they found out immediately too, they were far more discreet and respectful about it. They convinced the doctors to release Blaine from the hospital with the strict promise to watch him very carefully and for him to make complete bed rest for at least a couple more days.

Days in which Sam spent every minute he was not at high school at Blaine's house to take care of him and keep him company –and because now they were together, he wanted to spend every minute of every day with him, whatever the circumstances–, even if there was really no need because both his parents and Cooper were there for him. But Sam offered bad movies, hilarious impressions and loving cuddling, and the fact that he liked to remind Blaine how much he loved him every few hours made Blaine so happy that none of his family had the heart to tell Sam to take it easier. Well, because he made Blaine so obviously happy and because they were really starting to like him.

As soon as Blaine was able to leave the bed and start sitting up, Sam convinced the whole Glee club to rehearse at Blaine's home until he was well enough to go back to McKinley, and seeing that regionals were almost upon them and Blaine was such an important part of the performance they had planned, Mr. Schue didn't find any inconvenience.

The day Blaine returned to McKinley, they had their first fight, because Sam wanted him to wear the collar for a couple more days and Blaine refused. At the end, Blaine won, of course, given it was his own neck they were talking about, but Sam was easily made to forget their little row with a kiss, the first one in which he could put his hands around Blaine's neck to hold him lovingly in place, and maybe kiss a little of the skin hidden until then, making Blaine sigh in ecstasy and be very glad he had decided to get rid of the damn collar at last.

As they made their way down the hallways on McKinley, thanking some of the students there for their welcoming words to Blaine, the brunet complained about being cold and, before Sam could say anything, Blaine took Sam's football jacket out of his bag and put it on. And Sam had to smile as Blaine took his hand in his and walked proudly at his side with the name _Evans_ on the back of his jacket. Just as he had always dreamt.


End file.
